Role

Chapter 3

Together, Rayangha and the rishi walked a short ways to the place where he
made his home. He moved more slowly than her, even with the jug of water
balanced atop her head, and, out of respect, she slowed her pace to match
his. She halfway expected a cave, but the man's dwelling turned out to be
a sort of crude, thatched hut built against the side of an enormous banyan
tree, with the tree's trunk forming two of the walls. She set down her
jug of water, then the man lifted some branches and they entered.

The interior was more in line with Raynagha's expectations. There was a
mat of banyan leaves where the rishi must sleep, a fire pit with a small
earthenware pot suspended above it, and a short wooden bench upon which
were arranged a series of small jars. There was already a fire going in
the fire pit. From the sound of it, whatever liquid was in the pot was
nearing the boiling point. Steam wafted up from the surface and with it
came an exotic scent. She thought it smelled medicinal.

"Pass me the rightmost jar, balika," said the rishi.

He stood on the other side of the fire from her. Under the shade of the
banyan tree, with the structure's thatched roof, it was surprisingly dark
inside the hut, and the rishi's face was eerily illuminated by the
wavering light of the fire. She turned away from him to pick up the jar
he'd indicated, and when she turned back to hand it to him he was no
longer there.

Instead, where he had been standing, there hovered what she could only
describe as a giant insect. It had an angular body covered in red and
black carapace, two bulbous compound eyes, matching antennae, and long
double wings consisting of a transparent paper-thin membrane held in place
by rigid, tubular veins. The creature's compound eyes sparkled in the
firelight, each hexagonal component reflecting the light in a different
direction. It was as beautiful as it was terrifying. That was what
occurred to her while she was frozen in surprise, before time seemed to
start again and many things happened all at once.